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On May 5th, District Judge Ronald Israel made the swift decision to increase bail for 43-year-old Kevin Menon. Now, the suspect’s bail is set at $1 million. This decision wasn’t made lightly but as a result of the suspect’s recent actions and emerging facts from ongoing cases. Reports suggest Menon attempted to disqualify Judge Israel from one of the suspect’s other criminal cases. The attempt was a failure, but it did possibly contribute to the judge’s decision to increase Menon’s bail.
The main reason for the suspect’s bail being increased was a specific request from prosecutors due to emerging details about the bathroom video case.
Menon is a former Metropolitan Police Department sergeant who’s been accused of illegally detaining various individuals on the Las Vegas strip. That’s the least of his charges, though, as the former officer was also discovered in possession of child pornography that depicted the sexual abuse. The suspect is also accused of using secret bathroom cameras to capture inappropriate images and video of his wife and sister-in-law.
In an effort to defend himself, Menon’s defense attorneys attempted to argue that Judge Israel should be removed from the case. The reason for the disqualification, they alleged, was because the judge would have an implied bias as a result of his association with the detective who investigated Menon. The lawyers argue that the detective who looked into Menon works at the same Metro unit as an investigator who helped the Judge investigate his own daughter’s abuse claims in the past. This past situation, according to the defense team, could lead to the Judge being hesitant to make a ruling unfavorable to police.
Another argument Menon’s defense team is utilizing is saying that the hidden bathroom camera was consensual and not ‘hidden’. He claims all parties being recorded were willing participants.
The disqualification of Judge Israel was unsuccessful, but the defense attorney in charge of Menon’s case says he plans on filing a petition with the state’s Supreme Court. He hopes they’ll look further into the matter. In the meantime, he intends to ask for the case to be paused while the appeal is addressed.
These recent moves are significant because Menon already could not afford his previous bail when it was set at $500,000. His case is set to begin on August 18.
While judges are meant to be impartial parties who can make rulings exclusively on a case-by-case basis based on the specific facts and evidence presented, this ideal is hard to live up to in reality. A judge’s biases can strongly influence their decision making, even if they aren’t fully aware of it.
That said, a solid defense attorney will look into whether judges or any jury members should be disqualified from your case based on implicit or expressed biases. If you have a pending case, then consider hiring a solid lawyer to look into your options.
Schedule a consultation with our team of effective Las Vegas Criminal lawyers by filling out our online form or calling us directly at 702-623-6362.
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